Hello. I am a type 2 diabetic. Have been for about 12 years. Until recently my blood was very low in the morning. I confess to having had personal family stress and neglecting my diet and testing for the past several months. I am not insulin dependent. I am on medication. I just started testing again and my morning blood sugars are ridiculously high. This morning it was 185. I don't get it. So... my question is two-fold:1) What is going on?
2) Can I fix this or is this the next step to having to use insulin? (Please say no, for now)
Thanks, in advance, for your responses.
Micks...
What a lovely and informative response. Thank you. And all the best to you.
micksmixxx - The first thing you need to understand, my friend, is that type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, meaning that it is likely to get worse over time. It tends not to be a sudden change as you might witness in type 1 diabetes, but nevertheless, changes do occur. This doesn't mean that you're necessarily doing things wrong ... just that things happen.
ReplyDeleteBeing on insulin when you're a type 2 diabetic, does NOT mean that you're insulin dependent. It simply means that you're using insulin as a form of control. Sadly, in type 1 diabetes, you are insulin dependent because without insulin you would die. In type 2 diabetes you are supplementing the insulin that your pancreas is producing because your body is becoming more resistant to insulin that your body is still producing. This is IF your pancreas is still producing insulin. There MAY come a time when a type 2 diabetic's pancreas is not able to produce insulin, but this is a very rare occurrence.
It MAY be that you simply need your doctor to re-evaluate your medication. This MAY be all that's required. This does NOT, in any way, mean that you're failing in any respect.
It MAY also mean that you need to refresh your knowledge on diabetes control. MAYBE you aren't quite counting your carbohydrate intake with the amount against the amount of tablets you're taking ... assuming, of course, that you're taking medication. It could be that you're not taking any medication at all. MAYBE it's time for your doctor to start you on medication. Again, it's NOT an indication that you're failing in any way.
Whatever the outcome, I wish you well in regaining control, my friend.
Tabea - There could be a number of reasons. The first is that Type 2 is a progressive disease, and it may be that your own body's insulin production is no longer adequate for your needs.
ReplyDeleteAnother possible explanation is that stress can increase blood sugar levels, and the high numbers you are seeing might be the result of stress.
Possible too is the diet factor. You didn't give details about your diet, but it could be that you are eating too much carbohydrate for your body to handle?
It is a pity you haven't been testing regularly, as regular testing helps you to establish patterns so you can try to troubleshoot. But no worries about what's past. More important is that if you now keep to a regular testing schedule, you will be able to see some general patterns in your blood sugar.
As to how to fix it, well the first strategy is to eat low-carb and see if that helps your numbers. Some Type 2s are able to control their blood sugar just by eating low carb.
However if low carb still doesn't help, then you will have to consider other therapy methods. And yes, that might mean insulin. Using insulin doesn't mean that you have failed or that you are doomed. Every human being on this planet needs insulin. Every human being on this planet is insulin-dependent. It's just that some of us produce none/insufficient insulin, so we have to take exogenous insulin. That's all there is to it. It is nothing more complicated or scary or shameful than having to wear spectacles or contact lenses if you are short-sighted.
The advantage of insulin is that it always works. It will always lower blood sugar. Used responsibly, it is also very safe.
The worst thing you can do for yourself is continue walking around with elevated blood sugars, because *that* will kill and maim you in the medium/long term.
zakiit - There could be several reasons.
ReplyDeleteStress is one thing that can bring sugar levels up. You do not say what they are like during the rest of the day and if the medication is working.
Another reason could be that you have gone low in the night and your body is compensating to bring you back up - and does not know when to stop.
Another reason could be that you have been neglecting your diet - there is no easy way around this I am afraid because that is part of diabetes.
Another reason could be Type 2 is a progressive condition. The pancreas is beginning to tire and you might need to adjust the level of your medication or you might need some insulin to back up what you are still producing, if indeed you are.
You do need to go and speak to your doctor - we all lose track sometimes and it might be that you need re-educating.
Do you have an infection brewing? A cold? A sore toe? Whatever it is you might need to get some antibiotics which will initially put you up but then once the infection is gone it should go back down again.
I wish you well.